Big Jim washumming?
“Hi, Dad,” she said, dropping her suitcase and giving his cheek a kiss.
“Welcome back, honey.How was New York?”He gave her a wide grin.
His attitude was so different from when she’d left and he’d been so cranky, she felt a new suspicion.
“It was good, Dad.I filmed a perfume commercial.”She took a chair and started fishing.“So ...anything happen here while I was gone?”She filched a few of his nuts.
“Nope.”He cracked a new walnut and popped it into his mouth.
“Nothing at all?”
“Not a thing.”He happily continued his cracking.
Giving up on him but not the subject, she had a new idea, one that might prove more productive.“Think I’ll head down to the barn, see my chicks.”
He waved her off and she went in search of Willie.
She found him mucking out her gelding’s stall.
“Hey, Willie.”She patted the gelding’s neck and it snuffled her arm.
“Miss Sarah!”Willie set aside his shovel and wiped his hands on his jeans.“Glad you’re home.We missed you.”
“Awe, you’re sweet.I’ll be home for a few months now.But I have a question for you.When I left last week, my dad was really grumpy.Today he seems happy as a lark.What’s going on?”
Willie’s expression became knowing.They left the stall and he latched the door.“Could be Miss Milly, that’s what.”
Interesting.
“Is that right?”At the chicken coop she looked through the wire and checked to see if the feeder was full.She’d been so busy in recent days she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Milly.She asked, “What about her?”
“Jim asked her out, is all.I know, because one of her waitresses told me the next day.So far, they’ve been on three dates.”
“Three dates in a week!”She was thrilled.Somehow, Big Jim had figured out how to get out of his own way.Would wonders never cease!
“Yup.Ever since, his step has been pretty light.”Willie filled the chicks’ water basin.
“I can imagine,” Sarah said, feeling incredibly gratified.She grinned to herself.This was perfect.“I can imagine.”
